I Am Your's
by RedGem270
Summary: (One shot) Arnold gets amnesia after getting hit on the head. He mistakes Helga as his girlfriend, but after two days does Arnold really have amnesia or is it a trick of the mind?


3/19/04 - 3/26/04

Disclaimer: _Hey Arnold _does not belong to me (sigh). I only imagined the story and wrote it down. So enjoy. And I wish to dedicate this to Brat Child2 who I thank for dedicating a new story of her's to me and along with a couple of others. Also, for reading my other story and enjoying it like many others who I also thank. Brat Child2 is a great person with great stories! Thank u so much, Brat Child2 and thank you all of you for reviewing and for reading my stories. Thank you all so very much. And if you haven't checked out Brat Child2's story "Dark At Heart", another _Hey Arnold _fic which is the best, I suggest you check it out, along with all her other stories which are equally good.

  
  
  
  
  


It was a warm, bright day. The air smelled of fresh cut grass and flowers in full blossom. The birds chirped joyously and Helga G. Pataki was sitting quietly under a tree, reading Mary Higgin Clark's, _Where Are The Children?_. Laughter suddenly filled the air. She angrily slammed the book down in her lap, still holding her place with her thumb as she looked up, pretty annoyed. It was Phoebe. She and Gerald were flirting. Again! _Why can't they just confess their sickening love for one another already. Geez! _she thought. She scoffed once before lifting the book back up to eye level. Her eyes trailed above the book slightly to spy on her friend. Gerald was buying her an ice cream. Lately, Phoebe had been getting much attention from the male half of the entire tenth grade class. Helga scowled. She was jealous, but she dared not admit it. 

Phoebe was indeed pretty. Her girlish figure was really forming well. Her glasses made her look smart and intriguing. Boys melted in her hands, but yet, she was still very shy and she had a very innocent quality to her which had the boys eating out of the palm of her hand, though she never seemed to see it. She was as pure as anyone could be. Helga didn't know herself that she too had the right curves. She was also growing popular among the boys, though they would never tell _her_ that. They still feared her, but they did indeed look, but never _ever_ touched. But the boys had always come to Phoebe. She had been on a few dates. Neither one of those dates was Gerald, though. Helga knew that's who Phoebe really wanted and she tried to make him jealous and although it did work, he never asked her out himself as Phoebe hoped. 

Helga shook her head as her eyes drifted back to her book as she abandoned her thoughts. She continued to read. 

"Must be interesting," a voice said. 

Helga scowled. She was annoyed again for being interrupted. The book was at a good part. She slammed the book shut as she looked up. Arnold stood before her. She was taken aback by the sight of him. He looked like a god and she wasn't the only girl who thought so anymore. There was competition for him now. Even Lila was getting into the game. Though he did not know this. Helga stayed out. She never thought about herself as his type. Only hoped. But she did get in the way when the other girls came up with plans to win his heart. She just couldn't help that. He was taller now. A good three inches taller than she. She no longer towered over him. It was the other way around. His skin became tanned due to the fact that he had gone to sunny California to visit an old relative or something. He smiled sweetly as he calmly sat beside her. She took in the smell of his cologne. He smelled_ so_ good. She had the urge to lean into him, but she held herself back. _Keep it together, Helga ol' girl_, she said to herself as she watched him. _Keep it together._

She crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you want, football-head?" she asked, angrily.

He shrugged. "Nothing really," he replied. "Just wanted to talk."

"Well, tall-hair boy is over there." She nodded toward him. "He'll have plenty to say. _Phoebe this, Phoebe that_," she mocked.

Arnold titled his head slightly as his smile grew wider. "Are you jealous, Helga?"

She looked at him, disgusted in his question. "No!" She quickly stood. "What the hell would make you say that?!"

He shook his head, holding in his laughter. "Nothing, forget I mentioned it."

She walked away from him and he stood, quickly catching up to her. She tried to quicken her pace, but he kept up with her easily. She finally stopped and looked at him. She tapped her foot against the pavement. She crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you want?!" she shouted. 

Arnold handed her the book. She looked down at it and then back up at him. He was still smiling. She looked at him carefully. He was hiding something. She saw it in his eyes. It was even in the way he smiled, which she had not noticed before. She suddenly snatched the book as she mentally shook the thoughts away. She continued to walk, trying with every bit of her will power to ignore him. 

"You look nice today," he announced, randomly. Helga turned to him, quizzically. He smiled. She looked down at her clothes. She wore a pair of blue jeans and believe it or not her old dress, which still fit her pretty well. The only difference was that it was tighter on her now-a-days, but she couldn't part with it. Too many memories. Phoebe and Rhonda had helped her cut the dress and make it look like a t-shirt. Rhonda had done most of the work though and she had done a great job on it. It looked exactly the way a t-shirt was suppose to look. 

Helga looked up at him again. She caught him looking her over. Their eyes met for a brief moment before Helga looked away. Her heart pounded in her chest._ Keep it together, keep it together, keep it together_, she repeated over and over again. _Keep it together, keep it together, keep it together. . ._

"Can I walk you?" he asked. 

Helga shrugged, unable to look at him, "Whatever floats your boat, football-head," she managed to say.

The whole way home, Helga didn't say a word. Neither did Arnold. Helga liked it this way. It made it easier for her to ignore him. She thanked god when she reached her front door. She just couldn't wait to go to her room and lock herself in there. She'd be able to take her mind off Arnold a lot faster if she just continued to read her book. 

"Helga." She had been reaching for the door before he spoke. She turned to him. A little impatient. "I was wondering if - "

"Arnold!" Gerald called. Helga almost screamed. That made the third time that she had been interrupted! She wanted to know what Arnold wanted. What was he wondering about? She couldn't stand all these interruptions. "Come on, Phoebe and I are heading to Gerald Field for a game. Like old times."

Phoebe waved as she raced to Helga. She was excited. "You come too, Helga," she said, taking her arm and dragging her down the stoop.

"Ah, no thanks, Phoebs, I'd much rather not," Helga replied, pulling away.

"It'll be fun. And like Gerald said, it'll be like old times," Phoebe pleaded. Helga rolled her eyes.

"Come on," Arnold encouraged. Helga looked at him, only for a quick second. She tightened her grip on the book she held in her hand. 

"Fine! But only one game and then I'm gone, got it?!"

"Got it!" Phoebe answered joyously. She took Helga's arm again and pulled her down the street. 

Pretty soon they were at Gerald Field. The teams had already been formed. Though, some of the group stayed out. Rhonda and Lila sat in the bleachers. They stood and greeted the new comers. 

"Oh, Hello, Arnold," Lila greeted, sweetly. Helga felt a pang of jealousy. "It's ever so nice to see you again."

"It's nice to see you too, Lila," he returned. He smiled, brightly. 

Helga turned around, ready to leave.

"Where ever are you going, Helga?" Lila asked. 

"Home," she replied, bitterly. 

Phoebe pulled her back. "Don't worry about her," Phoebe whispered, figuring Helga had gotten a bit jealous. Helga turned again.

"You know, Lila, I'll stay. I'm ever so certain I'd like to stay here," she mocked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Lila joyfully clasped her hands together. "That's wonderful, Helga!"

"So what team will I be joining?" Arnold asked. He looked about.

"My team," Iggy announced. "You too, Gerald."

"Great!" Arnold and Gerald replied. 

"Helga, Phoebe," Iggy said. "You'll go on Harold's team."

Helga rolled her eyes. Yes, just like old times. She placed her book down on the bleachers where Rhonda and Lila were sitting. Lila joyously volunteered to hold it for her while she played, even though Helga hadn't asked. 

"Have fun," Helga replied to Lila as she walked away, toward the outfield. 

The game soon began and it seemed to be going by quickly. Already an hour into the game, Harold's team was ahead by two runs. The bases were loaded and it was Helga's turn to bat. Arnold was in the outfield again. Helga tried desperately to ignore Arnold watching her. He kept his eyes fixed on her in a different way then the others. She was becoming nervous and angry. _Why is that football-head staring at me like that?! _She asked herself, trying to hide her nervousness. She still had her crush on Arnold which she wanted to forget about. She had been trying desperately to forget about him lately, but it wasn't working. He seemed to be around every corner now. Everywhere she turned,_ he_ was there. She couldn't get any time alone these days. Brainy still found her when she tried to get some time alone to think or talk to herself, whatever. And if she did get time alone, it was a short time. 

Harold soon pitched the ball and on pure instinct Helga swung her bat. She had been to deep in thought when the ball came, but she shook her thoughts away as she realized what had happened. Phoebe, Harold, Sid, Stinky and the rest urged her to run to first base. She did and she ran around to second. 

"I got it!" Arnold shouted as he ran for the ball. He held out his hand ready to catch it and Helga continued to run. She passed second and moved toward third. Soon she was running toward third, but she did not get to home plate. She heard a loud, low grunt. She swirled around in time to see Arnold on the ground. 

"Arnold!" Everyone screamed. They all ran to him. A crowd formed around him calling hi name. Some nudged him. Helga pushed through the crowed. She looked down at him. She couldn't believe this. If she wanted to she'd say aloud that they were even, Arnold and her. She hit him with a baseball like he had done to her years ago, but she didn't want to say it. 

"_Arnold_," she whispered, softly as she looked at him. "_What have I done?_"

"Someone call for his grandparents!" someone shouted.

"Someone call for_ help_!" another replied.

Helga couldn't tell who's voice from who. They all seemed to blur together as she watched Arnold's unconscious form, lying down on the cold ground. 

* * * * * * * * * 

Helga awaited in the hospital room. Only two of Arnold's friends and two of the boarders were allowed inside with Arnold's grandparents. Helga, being the one who hit him and Gerald, being his best friend were allowed inside. Susie and Ernie were the two boarders allowed in. They all crowded around Arnold's bed, waiting for him to awake. The doctor was also inside the room. He had previously said that Arnold had a slight concussion. _Oh, yeah a very slight concussion_, Helga thought. _He's been knocked out for a lifetime! When will he wake up?_

Arnold began to stir, almost as if he knew what Helga had been thinking. Helga stood up straight. She watched him. His eyes opened slightly. Every moment counted for Helga and possibly for everyone in the room. She worried, but tried not to show it. Arnold opened his eyes, but then closed them half way. The room was too bright for him. He looked about the room. He seemed to be confused. _That's understandable_, Helga thought. Arnold's eyes locked with her's and he smiled, whole-heartedly. She was taken aback by this. Every head in the room turned in her direction. She looked away, a bit flushed. Her cheeks grew warm and light red. She turned away, angered that she had showed her embarrassment.

"Helga," Arnold, said sweetly. She did not look at him. She couldn't. She felt everyone's eyed on her and she just couldn't turn to look at him. Her cheeks grew warmer. She put one hand to her face in an attempt to hide her blushing face.

"Well, hello there, Arnold," his grandmother greeted. 

"Hey, there, short man!" his greeted.

"How are you feeling, Arnold?" Susie asked. 

"Are you ok, man?" Gerald questioned. 

"We were worried about you," Ernie announced. 

"Any headache, Arnold?" the doctor inquired.

Helga turned back when she felt it was safe. Arnold looked at everyone around him. He was still confused. He didn't seem to recognize them. Any of them but her. Helga was now confused herself. She watched him as his family and friends questioned him. He didn't answer them. Their questions just kept flying at him. All fell silent as a horrible assumption fell across their minds.

"Arnold?" Gertie asked. 

Arnold looked at her carefully. "Who are you and how do you know my name?" 

Everyone gasped as their horrifying assumption was confirmed. Helga looked at Arnold carefully. He skipped from face to face and he truly had no idea who they were, but he. . .had not forgotten about her. Why hadn't he forgotten about her? She looked at him curiously. Was this just a game? No, it couldn't be. Arnold wasn't like that. He would never be able to play such a cruel joke. 

"It seems that Arnold has a mild case of amnesia," the doctor announced.

"Mild?" Helga asked sarcastically. 

"May I speak to you all outside for a moment?" the doctor asked. Everyone hesitantly left Arnold's bedside. "Excuse us, Arnold."

"Sure thing," he replied. 

They all walked outside the room for a while. The others were not around. They were left in the waiting room. The doctor sighed. He looked at all the gloomy and saddened faces around him. Helga though, did not show the remorse that she felt. She still had her arms crossed over her chest. She was a good 3 feet away from the rest of the group. She peeked into Arnold's room. He looked around the room, still trying to figure out where he was. Helga smiled a little._ Arnold, my love, I will help you restore your memory_. Her thoughts were cut off when the doctor began to speak. 

"Well, Arnold seems to have amnesia," he repeated.

"Doi, Captain Obvious!"

"It's only mild amnesia," the doctor said, ignoring Helga's remark. "He seems to remember this young lady pretty well." The doctor motioned toward Helga. Everyone turned and stared at her as if they had seen her for the first time. Helga glared at them all and turned her head away from them all. She patted herself on the back, feeling honored and a little cocky. Arnold had remembered her. Of all people it was Helga G. Pataki he remembered! 

"How do we help him get his memory back?" Phil asked. 

"Well, you can show him around the house and show him pictures. It should help jog his memory, but take things slow. Too much at once might not be a good idea. And she should help keep him calm and feeling secure until this mess is all cleared up," the doctor explained as he once again motioned toward Helga. Helga turned abruptly. She was a bit startled. He wanted her to help? Well, then she was ready. Just as long as she didn't have to show any emotion toward Arnold. She hoped she wouldn't slip. No, she wouldn't. She couldn't. She really shouldn't.

They headed back into the room. Arnold was now sitting up on the bed, leaning back on the pillows which he propped behind him. He smiled, shyly at everyone when they returned. Helga could've melted right then and there. He looked so completely helpless and innocent and so very cute. She couldn't help but smile. She hadn't realized herself that she had let a small smile creep across her lips and then she noticed Arnold smiling confidently at her. He had caught her smiling and was smiling in return. Her cheeks became slightly warm, but she scowled and turned away. She sighed dreamily to herself as she had done so many times before. 

"Helga," Arnold said as he moved over on the hospital bed. Her smiled warmly and gently patted the bed. "Come. Have a seat."

Helga was taken aback by this. She had no idea how to react. It was almost as if her brain had just shut down on her. She couldn't think and she couldn't move. She had frozen. She felt completely paralyzed. 

"Arnold?" Gerald suddenly asked. "How is it that you remember Helga and not the rest of us? She hates you."

Helga wanted to protest, but still she found that she could not. Arnold only looked at Gerald. He chuckled a little. "How can I forget about my girlfriend?" Arnold shook his head as if he thought it was a silly question. They all gasped. 

Now Helga felt like the room was spinning. What exactly was going on? Did Arnold just say what she always wanted. But it wasn't real! She wasn't his girlfriend! But he thought she was. What would make him think that? She really must've hit him pretty hard for him to come up with something like that. 

"Arnold, you never told us about a girlfriend," Ernie said slyly. 

"Well, short man," Phil said, proudly, "aren't you a sly devil."

"Congratulations, Kimba!" Gertie shouted. 

"What?!" Gerald yelled. He was obviously mortified. 

Helga still could not move. She felt light-headed all of a sudden, but forced herself to keep calm and to stay conscious! She fought with herself to just stay conscious. And she was winning. One side of her was anyway. 

"Yeah," Arnold, confirmed. "We've been dating for quite some time now." He said this wit great pride and Helga now thought she was dreaming. It had to be a dream or at least a hallucination. It just had to be some kind of illusion. What else could it have been? Maybe this was one of those dreams where you know you're dreaming. She wanted to pinch herself to wake herself up. She managed to blink as her mind began to work again. Her fingers twitched and after about another second or two she slowly began to move her hand toward her arm. With her thumb and index finger she squeezed a little bit of her skin from her arm. She winced at the slight pain. And then she realized that it certainly was not a dream. This was truly happening. 

* * * * * * * * * 

Two days, Helga sat on her bed. It was finally Friday. She wrote in her little pink book. This was one of many in her collection. The little pink books that she had gotten over the years seemed to pile up in her closet. She kept them all in a safe little cardboard box which she kept beside her shrine. She had wanted to remove the shrine from her closet in honor of her attempt to get over Arnold, but she could not part with it. It had been a part of her. Or over the years it seemed to become part of her. She read her poetry to it as weird as it sounded, but she did and it had even inspired her sometimes. The shrine became almost as dear to her as Arnold had become. 

Arnold had not gone to school for the past two days, which was of course understandable considering the fact that he still had amnesia. Phoebe, Gerald, Lila, and some of the others had gone out of their way to go to his house after school to help his grandparents and the boarders to help get his memory back. Helga didn't know what she was going to do. She really did want to help get his memories back, but how would she be able to help? She didn't even feel right being around him. She couldn't bring herself to do it. This had caused her to grow very angry. She vows to help restore his memory and yet she doesn't even lift a finger to help! At all. She scribbled across the pages of her little pink book, expressing her anger in ever single line she wrote through her poetic talent.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the phone rang. She was angered by the sudden interruption, but continued on with her writing, until Big Bob called her. 

"_Helga_! Your little friend is on the phone!"

"Who?!" she asked as she hide her pink book under her pillow.

"I don't know! Your friend! Hurry up and get your keister down here! Pronto!"

"Hold your horses, _Bob_!" she shouted as she walked out of her room. She walked down the stairs and soon she stood before Big Bob. He shoved the phone toward her and she snatched it away. "Hello?"

"Helga, it's me Phoebe," Phoebe replied from the other end. "Arnold keeps asking for you."

"Arnold?" Helga asked with shock ringing through her voice. 

"Yes, he says he feels slightly uncomfortable without you around to comfort him. He says that he would feel a lot better if you would just come on over."

Arnold wanted her to go to his house? Because he'd feel more comfortable with her there? Now she knew this was a dream. It just had to be. Her heart pounded in her chest. All thoughts seemed to smear together. Nothing made sense anymore, but she pulled herself together again. Arnold needed her and this would give her an excuse to actually go over there. It would give her a chance to help. And she would. She would help him. No matter what it took, she'd help out. In anyway possible.

"Helga?"

"Yeah?"

"Please, tell me you're coming here," Phoebe pleaded.

"Fine! But it'll be just this once!"

"Thank you, Helga," Phoebe said, gratefully. "Maybe you can actually help him remember something. We're all trying, but he either remembers things differently or he just doesn't remember them at all. For example the Romeo and Juliet play we did in the fourth grade. He doesn't remember that. He doesn't even remember when we were all partnered up to take care of a 'baby' which just happened to be an egg. He didn't remember how you and he got along and were able to say that your egg hatched. He smiled at the thought, but said it hadn't happened. He doesn't even remember that he and Gerald founded - "

"Criminey, Phoebe! I don't need to know your whole analysis!"

"Sorry, Helga."

"Listen," Helga began, "I'm on my way."

She hung up the phone before Phoebe could respond. Maybe all Arnold needed was another good blow to the head. It always worked in the cartoons which some people watched religiously. She moved up the stairs to her room. She wanted to secure her little pink book. She removed it from beneath her pillow and then placed it in her closet on top of the cardboard box which held her other little pink books and other poetry books. She closed the closet door and locked it. She placed the key on her key chain which hung from her pants and went down stairs.

Big Bob soon emerged form the livingroom. "And where do you think you're going, little lady?"

"Out," Helga replied, without so much as a glance as she opened the front door. She slammed the door behind her as she stepped outside.

"Come back here!" Bob shouted after her, but Helga ignored her. 

"Let her go, B," Miriam replied. "She's 16 years old. She needs to be out." 

As Helga walked away, her father's response to her mother's reply became muffled and distant. She walked toward Arnold's house. She grew more nervous by the second. How exactly would she go about this whole thing? How would she help him? Continue talking about the good old days? What good old days?! The days she spent pining over him while he pined over_ Lila_? They days Helga had to watch Arnold's fantasies become realities as he and Lila grew closer by the day, strolling down the halls holding hands. Feeding each other ice cream in the cafeteria. Giggling and flirting with one another. Gently rubbing against each other every now and then. Or were the good old days the days Helga spent locked away in her room, hiding herself from the world after her nightmares became reality?

There were no "good old days"!

Helga came to a halt as she stepped in front of Arnold's house. She peered up at the tall boarding house. She didn't want to help bring his memory back. Not any more. He'd only go about life without her. Now at least he seemed happy to see her and in his eyes she was his girlfriend, even though she knew that wasn't the case. She wasn't and yes, it did sadden her, but she didn't want that to plague her mind or cloud her judgement. As she turned away, the front door.

"It's just a walk," Arnold's sweet voice came. "I'll be fine."

"Do you even remember your way around the block?" Gerald asked.

"Of course I do," Arnold replied. He turned to walk away and spotted Helga. His face brightened. "Helga!"

She turned to him and said nothing. She looked at his face. He looked genuinely happy to see her. Why couldn't he be like that all the time? His smile was joyful and surprised. His eyes sparkled with great satisfaction and a hint of deception. She didn't know why, but it confused her. She took a very small step back as he hugged her. Deception? Maybe she had only imagined it. That was it! She had imagined that slight indication of deception. She scolded herself for thinking otherwise. Arnold soon pulled away from her. His smile gave away his slyness as he looked at her. 

"Helga can come along with me? Would that make you guys happier, knowing that I'm with someone who knows there way around?" Arnold asked as he turned toward Phoebe and Gerald who were standing in the doorway. Phoebe nodded as Gerald smiled knowingly.

"Sure, man," Gerald replied.

It surprised Helga how well Gerald was taking this all. She thought he'd protest to Arnold's decision, but he had obviously agreed. And so easily to. Helga tried not to think about it. something didn't seem right, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. But she was determined to find out one way or the other. Something was happening and Gerald and Arnold both knew about it. Had Arnold remembered something which he had confided in Gerald? And if he had remembered something, why didn't anyone else know about it? 

Arnold took Helga's hand in his. Her breath came short, her heart raced, and she could feel her knees giving way. She pulled away as quickly as she possibly could. Arnold looked at her with a mixture of confusion and shock. "What do you think you're doing, you football-headed freak?!" she roared. 

"I - I wanted to hold your hand. We always hold hands when we walk," he responded.

"No way, Arnaldo! Not today, not tomorrow, not ever!" 

"Helga, what's the matter? You seem. . .different."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Helga, please," Phoebe begged. 

"You don't act the same as you use to. You always loved to hold my hand and you visited me daily. We'd always go out. You and me. Sometimes it'd be us and some friends, but we were always together and now. . .you've changed."

Helga turned away. "Let's just go before I change my mind," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest. She began to walk away. Arnold followed her. Neither one of them spoke on their short journey. Helga had stayed in front of Arnold throughout the walk, never once glancing back at him.

* * * * * * * * *

The walk hadn't been too long. They walked once or twice around the park and then straight to Helga's house. As she approached her front door, she could hear Big Bob howling at the t.v. He was yelling at the screen, something about a figure-four-leg-lock and a head butt. Helga reached into her pant pocket and retrieved her keys. She was ready to unlock the door when Arnold called her name. She turned around, surprised that he was still there. She watched him as he approached her. He came close, their bodies almost touched. Helga could feel her heart quicken. He looked down at her as she looked up at him. His eyes were full of emotions, concern, sadness, longing. . ._Longing? _Another trick of the mind. _Just another trick of the mind_, she thought to herself.

He smiled sweetly at her. "Remember that Romeo and Juliet play in the fourth grade?"

She nodded as his hand brushed passed her cheek, barley touching her skin. A wave of pleasure overtook her.

"Remember that kiss you gave me?"

She nodded again. This time his hand grazed her cheek. Her breath became heavy. He leaned in close. She could feel his soft breath on her ear as he spoke.

"I want to try that again," he whispered in her ear. "This time I want to take part in it." 

His lips swept passed her cheek as he moved toward her lips. She closed her eyes as his body touched her's. Her heart pounded against her rib cage. The moment she had been waiting for her whole life was finally there. His lips touched her's lightly. She opened her mouth slightly along with his. They seemed to be in rhythm with each other. He kissed her once, to test out the waters. It was a soft, slow butterfly kiss on her lips. Then he dived in. The second kiss was tender and sweet with passion. His free hand slid around her hips, pulling her to him as her arms wrapped around his neck.

Helga could feel her heart burst with joy. A single tear slid down her cheek and at the same time she could feel her knees giving way. On instinct her body leaned into his for support. She didn't want this moment to ever end. Then Arnold slowly pulled away. Helga's arms slid from his shoulders to his chest, her eyes still shut. Her eyes slowly fluttered open. Arnold smiled. 

"That was - "

"Great," Helga finished. His smile grew wider. 

"Yes, it was," he agreed.

As he smiled, something came to her. Didn't he have amnesia? She pulled away, suddenly. He remembered the play from fourth grade. Phoebe had said on the phone that he hadn't remembered a thing about it. She shook her head. So many things were flying at her at once. 

"Are you okay," he asked as he stepped forward.

"You remembered the play from fourth grade?" she inquired. Arnold looked at her as he stood straight. "Phoebe said you didn't remember anything about it."

Arnold smiled, weakly. "Oops," he replied.

"Oops? What do you mean_ oops_?!" Helga shouted.

"About that," he began.

"When did you get your memory back, football-head?!"

"Yesterday," he answered.

"Gerald knew, didn't he?" she questioned.

He nodded. 

That explained why Arnold had that hint of deception in his eyes. He had only been pretending to have amnesia. That was the reason why Helga felt something was off. She knew something was going on. And he kissed her! _Kissed _her! Were those his intentions? She shook the thought away. I could kill him right now, she thought. He had deceived her. She made her go on feeling guilty about giving him amnesia when he had gotten his memory back the day before. 

"I didn't even tell Gerald," he admitted. "He just sorda knew. I'm sorry, Helga, but just listen to me."

She was still trying to getting a hold of things. 

"I've liked you for so long now. Since sixth grade to be exact and Gerald knew even before I did that I liked you. It's more than like. It's. . ."

She looked at him. Was he really saying this to her? She suddenly felt light-headed. The world around her seemed to be spinning. Was this really happening?_ Please, don't let this be another dream_, she pleaded with herself. _Not another dream, please_.

"Love. I love you, Helga. In a way I always have, except now it's - I. . .I'm _in_ love with you." He paused as if waiting for her reaction. She shut her eyes. "Helga. . .I vowed that I'd win your heart some day, _please_, tell me I've won your heart, _please_."

She opened her eyes and looked up at him. His eyes held no lie. He was serious. His eyes pleaded with her. She couldn't help but look at him. She didn't react for some time and she could see it in Arnold's eyes that he began to worry. A smile slowly formed on her face.

"You've already won my heart," she replied. "You've had it since the first day I laid eyes on you, Arnold." Tears began to stream down her face as she spoke. "I. . .love you."

Arnold sighed, relief washing over him. He smiled at her as he held her close. "I'm glad." She pulled away from him and looked him in the eyes, just to make sure. Her future looked promising. He hugged her tightly again and whispered in her ear, "You are mine and I am your's."

"You are mine and I am your's," she repeated. He kissed her cheek and continued to hold her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and let her head gently fall on his chest.

"I love you, Helga."

"And I love you, Arnold."

THE END


End file.
